COME OUTSIDE and PLAY!WELCOME to the WONDERFUL WORLD of BEACHCOMBING,an activity that offers you an affordable opportunity to change your life for the better, in body, mind and spirit.

Wandering along shorelines pocketing treasure is something I've done since I was a small child. A
gentle, meditative activity, beachcombing never failed to lift my spirits and fill
my pockets with fascinating things. Now, as an adult, a beachcomber
still, I realize that strolling along searching
for sea glass, shells or stones offers not just me, but all of us, a
natural way to enhance our health and well-being, extend our
social networks and expand our intellectual horizons. My mission to educate people about the beachcomb experience. I
do this through lectures, workshops, publications, a Dr. BeachcombFacebook page, the annual International Beachcombing Conference, and this site, which I hope becomes your one-stop shop for 'everything
beachcombing.' Let the links inform and guide you to a great beachcomb
experience. I guarantee you'll never see a beach in the same way again!

Beachcombing offers you an excellent portal to marine and natural science, and human settlement history.Here is a wide array of beach treasuresgracing the desk in my 'BeachLab:" sea glass and marbles, English and Tuscan beach ceramics, American Indian arrowheads, quartz, Asian fishing floats, Miocene-era fossilized shells, marine mammal bone, and shark and skate teeth.

PLEASE NOTE: Images are copyrighted and cannot be reproduced without the written permission of Dr. Ritterbush or Megan Elyse Lloyd.

My name is
Deacon Ritterbush (aka "Dr. Beachcomb"*) and my
beachcombing experience spans nearly six decades. I have explored many coastlines
from Chesapeake Bay and Puget Sound to the Mediteranean, the Caribbean and throughout the Pacific, with wonderful memories and beach treasures to show
for it.
Because I believe that
“context” leads to
a greater appreciation of everything, I draw on my
research skills and anthropology background to learn
more about the artifacts I find. This leads me on even more "combing
expeditions," this time for facts on the evolution of our planet
and the splitting of Pangia; Chumash Indian tool-making; 17th c pirate
hide-outs in the Caribbean; the impact of acidification on mollusks; and
much more.

My lectures, articles and books all touch on
various aspects of the beachcomb experience: tips, techniques and ethics;
sea glass and beach ceramic genres; coastal conservation issues (i.e.
the "plastic" problem); and even the spiritual and health benefits
derived from wandering along a shoreline looking for treasures. I organize Archaeology at the
Beach workshops and chair the annual International Beachcombing Conference where
new, novice and consummate beachcombers alike gather to learn more about
what they can find on the shore.

My first book, A Beachcomber's Odyssey: Treasures from a Collected Past, is
a “beach log” of life lessons I've learned while combing different beaches all over
the world. The book includes stunning photos of
beach treasures and information on
the coastal regions I've explored and artifacts I've found. A Beachcomber's Odyssey won the "Books for Better
Living" gold medal (Independent Publishers), the Da Vinci Medal for
Cover of the Year and Honorable Mention for Best Self-Help
Book of 2009 (Eric Hoffer award). It is available for purchase in stores, on Amazon or directly from me on this site under PRODUCTS. I am following up with Vol. 2, Strands in the Sand, which I hope will be out later in 2013.

On
the personal front, I am an American, married to an archaeologist from
the Kingdom of
Tonga and the mother of three children. I attended Kenyon College, American University, and received a Ph.D. from the University of
Hawaii as an East-West Center grantee. I trained
as a writer, an anthropologist and a political
economist and
have worked as a sustainable development strategist for national and
international agencies. I’ve also won some awards for
original
screenplays; written and directed a couple of TV documentaries;
and published
both articles and photographs in newspapers
and magazines such as Country
Living, La Vie
Claire and Hana Hou.

In
2005, I resumed writing full-time, sometimes heading to the
beach to
mull over plot points or clear my head. And as I walked, I scanned the shore for treasures. One day I realized
how
integral an activity beachcombing has always been in my life. No
matter the location, the weather, the mood or the
circumstances, I
beachcomb, and the hobby has never failed to provide me
with fascinating treasures; an inexpensive way to achieve
better mental,
emotional and physical health; and a spiritual means
to weather life’s
challenges. Even today, an hour or two of weekly 'combing cheers me up, calms me down, lends perspective,
recharges my batteries
and provides me with an entertaining way
to spend time
outdoors with family and friends.

I love sharing my skills and knowledge on beachcombing and beachcomb treasures with all who desire to learn more. So if that's you, let's get started!

* In the summer of 2006, while coordinating a beachcomber kids summer camp, I was "bequeathed" the nickname 'Dr. Beachcomb'by a student who was so excited to show me a sun-purple shard of sea glass he'd found that he forgot my name and blurted out "Dr. Beachcomb" instead. The other kids thought it was easier to call me that and the nickname stuck.

PLEASE NOTE: Images are copyrighted and cannot be reproduced without the written permission of Dr. Ritterbush or Megan Elyse Lloyd.